Our skin is our outside—the part of us we present to the world. It is also an organ of elimination, so we dump toxins through it. This combination leads to much distress, which I’ve found needs to be addressed on many levels.

First, on the physical level, be kind to your skin. Use only products that are natural, scent-free as much as possible, and feel good on your skin. Use essential oil of lavender directly on pimples—it’s antibacterial and helps speed healing and prevent scarring. I’ve had many clients whose skin cleared up when they stopped using medicated topical creams and instead used lavender.

This could also be because lavender cleans the lymph. When we clean our other organs of elimination, the skin doesn’t have to work as hard. So I often recommend a good cleanse to people with skin problems. Ask your health care practitioner or natural food store to recommend something that cleans the liver, lymph and colon. I recommend a parasite cleanse as well.

You might want to eat cleaner food—more organic vegetables, fewer flour products, no sugar and food additives—for a few weeks. Spring is a good time to cleanse. Just remember that whatever you try has to feel good. It might feel a little unpleasant at first as the toxins start to move, but basically your body should feel like it’s going in the right direction. If you’re uncertain, talk to a practitioner, or try another cleanse.

On an energetic level, I’ve seen many skin illnesses rooted in the second chakra. Otherwise known as the sacral chakra, this is located in the lower abdominal area. It is linked to feminine power, creativity, and flowing through life. No wonder acne starts in adolescence when power, expressing who we are, and going with the flow are all huge issues in our growth!

Find an energy healer to help you with your second chakra. To start with, are you expressing who you are? Do you know who you are? These are big questions, but not ones to think about. Rather, you need to explore them in a nonverbal way. Sit down with a big piece of paper and colored pencils and draw from your lower abdomen. Tell it that you’re ready to hear what it has to say. If drawing is too intimidating, try Play-Doh—create shapes from your second chakra. The key is to approach this with a sense of excitement and interest, not criticism. This is not art. This is listening to you. Journaling with the nondominant hand is another way to access this inner creative voice.

The second chakra is also where we hold wounds of separation and rejection. You might want to work with a good therapist to look at what feelings you are still holding on to, and how you can create a place of healing and support within you so you really get that you are never alone, that you are always loved, and that you are perfect just the way you are. Start by just sitting with your hands on your lower abdomen and telling the wounded parts of yourself that you love them, that you support them, and that you will do your best to protect them in the future.

Be your own inner champion. Create a strong vessel from within which you can contain the vibrant waters of the second chakra. Because the second chakra is also about flow. Without banks, the river can’t flow easily. Create the secure space for your creativity to flow. Remind yourself of cosmic oneness, and your inner beauty.